I Want to Give My Unborn Child Up for Adoption

Why It's Never Too Early or Too Late to Consider Adoption

It is never too early or too late to choose adoption for your baby.

Because adoption is not a choice you make overnight, help is available for you and your unborn child any time during your pregnancy, whether you make this decision in the first few months or at the last minute. No matter when you decide you want to “give” your unborn kid up for adoption, American Adoptions is ready to help.

But first, if you want to “give your unborn baby up” for adoption, it’s important you recognize that choosing adoption isn’t “giving up” your child or “giving them away” — it’s giving them their best shot at life.

Our adoption specialists are trained to provide you the assistance you need when you choose adoption for unborn babies, no matter how much time you have before you give birth. We still provide you the same services and advantageswhether you are considering adoption for your unborn baby right after discovering you’re pregnant, days before you give birth or after your baby is already born. The timeline is completely up to you. Only you will know when you are ready to choose adoption for an unborn infant.

If you are early in your pregnancy, you may be confused about what choice is best for you. When first learning of an unplanned pregnancy, it is common for women to want to learn how to put an unborn baby up for adoption, without committing to an adoption plan.

Contacting American Adoptions does not obligate you to choose adoption; it just gives us a chance to get to know you and answer your questions so we can help you move forward with the option that makes the most sense for you. Also, all of your information and the phone call itself are completely confidential.

Only if and when you decide that you want to give your unborn child up for adoption will we then begin looking at adoptive families and deciding how you want the adoption to proceed.

When you work with American Adoptions, you will have your own adoption specialist to guide you through how to put your unborn baby up for adoption. While the steps taken to place an unborn child up for adoption can vary, here’s how the adoption processwill generally work for you:

Step 1: You’ll submit your information to an adoption specialist by filling out social and medical history forms, which will help us get to know you and your baby and match you with the right prospective adoptive parents.

Step 2: Once we get your preferences for the kind of family you want your child to have (yes, you can choose the familyyour baby will live with), we’ll send you some profiles of families to choose from. If you’re pursuing adoption for an unborn child, you’ll obviously have some time. But don’t worry; it’s never too late to find adoptive parents for your baby due to the hundreds of couples we have on file waiting to become adoptive parents.

Step 3: After picking an adoptive family, you will be able to talk to and meet them to make sure they’re the right fit for your unborn child. You’ll also be able to discuss post-adoption contact preferences, which will let you watch your child grow up through letters and pictures.

Step 4: When you give birth at the hospital, you will be in charge of every aspect. It’s here that you will sign away your parental rights and the adoptive family will take custody of your child.

If you’re wondering when you can give a child up for adoption, you can start the process at any time — but it’s important you do so only after you’re confident in your decision. Remember that this is your choice and nobody else’s. You are the only one who is qualified to decide whether or not you want to give your unborn baby up for adoption.

I’m Considering Adoption for My Unborn Baby – Who Can I Talk to?

Michelle Downard, a birth mother herself, and the rest of our adoption specialists are here to help with any adoption-related questions you may have or to help you decide whether parenting or adoption is right for you.

“We are here to help women facing an unplanned pregnancy in any way by answering their questions and walking them through the adoption process. Whether they ultimately decide to parent or continue with adoption, we want to help women decide what is best for their individual situations," Michelle says.

So, if you’re considering adoption for an unborn infant, you can contact our adoption specialists at any time, for free and with no obligation, at 1-800-ADOPTION. No matter whether you’re considering adoption late in your pregnancy or early on, we’ll give you the same respect and opportunities as any other pregnant mother.

DisclaimerInformation available through these links is the sole property of the companies and organizations listed therein. America Adoptions, Inc. provides this information as a courtesy and is in no way responsible for its content or accuracy.

Why is American Adoptions the right adoption agency choice for many birth mothers?

American Adoptions is one of the largest licensed adoption agencies in the United States. Each year, we work with thousands of women who are facing an unplanned pregnancy and offer assistance to these women. Our large, caring staff is able to assist you seven days a week and provide you with one-on-one counseling about your pregnancy and available options.

You should choose an adoption agency where you feel completely comfortable with their services and staff. With American Adoptions, you will work with an Adoption Specialist who is on-call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Adoption Specialist will be your advocate and will provide support and guidance as you create an adoption plan that is right for you.

How will the family tell my child about me and the adoption when my child is older?

Each family has their own style of introducing adoption to the child. When you are matched with an adoptive family, you can ask them this question. If you would like your Adoption Specialist to discuss it for you, just let her know. He or she can share your wishes or provide good ideas from other adoptive families.

You will also be able to share what you want your baby to know about you. You can complete a keepsake booklet to share hobbies, stories, photos of you and your family and a letter to your baby. The adoptive family can provide this to your child as he or she grows older. Be as creative as you like! Some birth mothers have even knitted a special blanket as a gift to their baby or given a similar symbol of their love.

The father of your baby can fill out the birth father's keepsake booklet or write a letter too. You may have other family members who would also like to share photos or a letter to the baby. This is your opportunity to pass on your and your family's love and to share your personality, history and reasons for choosing adoption. The adoptive family will treasure whatever information you provide and will share it with the baby at an appropriate age. In most adoptive homes, the word adoption is in the child's vocabulary early on, and adoption is celebrated in their lives.

Teen Pregnancy - Information for Young Women

While not every woman who chooses adoption is a young mother, many are. Through adoption, many young women have found an ability to give their babies the best life possible, while finding the opportunity to realize their own dreams, as well. Call American Adoptions today at 1-800-ADOPTION.

American Adoptions, a private adoption agency founded on the belief that lives of children can be bettered through adoption, provides safe adoption services to children, birth parents and adoptive families by educating, supporting and coordinating necessary services for adoptions throughout the United States. For more information on American Adoptions, please call 1-800-ADOPTION (236-7846)